The New Westminster Record gave candidates in all three of New Westminster’s ridings an opportunity to introduce themselves and answer a series of issues-related questions. Two of the three candidates in New Westminster-Coquitlam submitted responses to our questionnaire.
Meet Jennifer Whiteside: BC NDP candidate in New Westminster-Coquitlam
Current occupation:
Until Sept. 19, I was the MLA for New Westminster and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, and I previously served as the Minister of Education. Before being elected, I was a labour leader and healthcare activist.
Short biography:
I was born and raised in New Westminster. I’ve dedicated my career to fighting for working people. As a former labour leader and community advocate, I fought for better public healthcare and worked to ensure people are treated fairly. I was proud to be elected as your MLA in 2020.
What is your housing situation? (homeowner, renter, owner of rental property/properties, etc.)
I live in a condo I own in New Westminster. It's a beautiful spot near the river. My sisters and I recently inherited the home we grew up in, and I have a family property in Montreal that, until his recent passing, I shared with my spouse.
Do you live in the New Westminster-Coquitlam riding?
Yes, I live right near the New Westminster Quay boardwalk.
What would make you a good MLA?
I'm passionate about protecting and expanding public healthcare, affordable housing, and building stronger, thriving communities. With a history of advocating for healthcare workers and labour rights, I'm committed to standing up for working families. I love New Westminster-Coquitlam and will always fight for the well-being of our incredible neighbours.
Where can voters reach you?
You can reach me here: website: jenniferwhiteside.bcndp.ca, campaign office phone: 236-453-2282, or on Facebook and Instagram at @jenniferwhitesidenewwest
The Record provided New Westminster-Coquitlam candidates with questions about a variety of issues, including housing, public safety, and climate change. Here are some of Whiteside’s responses:
How would your provincial government support municipalities in dealing with the increase in growth and demand for infrastructure like schools, childcare, parks and recreational facilities brought on by the new provincial housing regulations and a growing population?
David Eby is committed to ensuring that communities across B.C. have the resources they need to grow sustainably and equitably. Through targeted investments like the $1 billion Growing Communities Fund, we are providing cities with the financial support required to build and upgrade essential infrastructure, including roads, water treatment plants, parks, and community spaces. New Westminster has received $15.85 million, and Coquitlam has received $18.635 million from this fund.
Since 2017, 125 new, expanded, and seismically upgraded schools have been built or are underway, serving more than 70,000 students. With a record capital budget planned over the next three years, more schools will be built to accommodate BC's growing population. The excellent advocacy of the New Westminster and Coquitlam school boards and district parental advisory committees have helped to shape the region’s priorities.
We are also increasing our commitment to affordable childcare by expanding the Childcare BC initiative, which has already created over 30,500 new childcare spaces. The Seamless Day Kindergarten pilot in New Westminster will employ certified early childhood educators to provide before- and after-school care in kindergarten classrooms. We're also supporting families with a boost to the BC Family Benefit. These investments will ensure families have access to the services they need.
By working closely with municipalities, we will align provincial housing regulations with local infrastructure planning, ensuring that projects like transit, schools, and parks are developed in tandem with housing.
Do you believe that climate change is a threat? If so, what are some specific actions that you would support to address it?
British Columbians are seeing firsthand the threat of climate change. It's hitting close to home—extreme heat, fires, and floods are affecting our daily lives, clean air, and water. Taking action now means safer communities, clean air and water, and a stronger future for our families.
Locally, I've been inspired by the activism of the Monkey Rebel Club. I was proud to host an outdoor roundtable with then-Minister Heyman and youth from various environmental groups. Youth voices are vital in shaping our future, which is why we invested in the Climate Youth Corps, a youth-led climate action program.
I support expanding clean energy, reducing carbon emissions, building climate-resistant infrastructure, protecting our forests and oceans, and supporting clean transportation. We're investing in active transportation projects like the Agnes Street Greenway, a 1.2-kilometre corridor supporting safe walking, cycling, and wheeling.
David Eby is taking action to fight pollution and take better care of this place we love while building a clean economy with good-paying local jobs. We are investing in renewable energy projects like wind, solar, and hydroelectric power and expanding electrification in transportation and industry to reduce emissions. And we're taking action to build climate-resilient infrastructure, such as flood protection and wildfire prevention, while expanding conservation efforts to protect vital ecosystems like old-growth forests and wetlands. We're also helping people make personal changes through rebates for heat pumps, electric vehicles, and home efficiency upgrades.
Through these actions, we're addressing climate change while building a stronger, greener economy for British Columbia.
Many school districts, including New Westminster, are facing a capacity crisis when it comes to schools. New schools are often full or near capacity by the time they open. Will you change policy to fund school capital projects based on projected population growth? Why or why not?
Every child deserves a strong start, and investing in K-12 education is how we build a brighter future for our kids and our communities. David Eby is taking action to give our kids the quality education they deserve – building new and expanded schools.
We’ve invested over $44 million in seismic upgrades and safety improvements to New West Schools, including the brand new, expanded Skwo:wech Elementary School. Four new and improved playgrounds have been funded in New West, and the Playground Equipment Program is investing $5 million in 30 new school playgrounds for 24 school districts throughout the province.
There is construction underway at Queen Elizabeth Elementary, where we are nearly doubling its size with a 21-classroom expansion. We are working with the school district on the project for a new elementary school in the Fraser River District.
Our communities are growing at an unprecedented rate, and we want to make sure schools are keeping pace. We are committed to working with local governments and school districts to anticipate growth better and make smarter, long-term investments in school infrastructure. This includes streamlining approval processes to ensure schools are ready when needed, preventing overcrowding and ensuring a better learning environment for all students.
What can the provincial government do to address the doctor shortage, which has resulted in emergency room closures in B.C. communities and created challenges for residents in New Westminster-Coquitlam searching for a family physician?
Whether you're part of a growing community, caring for ill or aging family members, or starting a family, you deserve access to healthcare when you need it. A strong and vibrant B.C. means having a public healthcare system, with hospitals that are close to home and enough nurses, doctors and healthcare workers.
Reducing the strain on emergency rooms and ensuring more people can access a family doctor is a key focus of our efforts. We're hiring doctors now to provide immediate support and training more to meet future needs. We've hired 800 new doctors in the last year and are on track to connect everyone on the Health Connect Registry to a doctor or nurse practitioner by the end of 2025 – on top of the 570,000 people we've already connected.
We are training hundreds of new doctors by adding 128 spaces to the UBC medical school and building a new medical school in Surrey.
And we are breaking down barriers to bring internationally trained healthcare workers off the sidelines and into our hospitals and clinics. Over 2,000 new internationally trained nurses and over 900 internationally trained family doctors and specialists have been licensed to practice here in the past year.
John Rustad's healthcare plan is risky. He is proposing a $4.1-billion cut, which means fewer doctors and nurses and longer wait times. His record of cuts has already worsened the family doctor shortage, leaving 900,000 people without access. We can't afford to let him make these cuts again.
What, if anything, would your government do to improve oversight of municipal governments and ensure they adhere to standards for ethical behavior?
Working with local governments, we brought in the requirement for local governments to consider codes of conduct within six months of being elected.
About 70% of local governments have now enacted codes of conduct – but it’s clear that more can be done to support them in addressing issues, if they arise. We will continue to work with local governments to ensure they have the tools they need.
**Editor's note: The Record is publishing responses from the two candidates who responded to our questionnaire before our deadline –BC Green candidate Maureen Curran and BC NDP candidate Jennifer Whiteside. Conservative Party candidate Ndellie Massey did not respond to emails from the Record.
Check back for more coverage on the candidates’ responses to questions on various issues, including housing, business, and public safety.
